Organisation : Western Cape Government
Facility Name : Decoding Your South African ID Number
Country : South Africa
Website : https://www.westerncape.gov.za/general-publication/decoding-your-south-african-id-number-0
How To Decoding Your South African ID Number?
Our South African ID number is a very important part of our lives and is the key to our access to banking facilities and our daily interaction with retail, medical aid, insurance and travel. This information will help you understand what the numbers in your South African ID represents.
A South African ID number is a 13-digit number which is defined by the following format: YYMMDDSSSSCAZ.
** The first 6 digits (YYMMDD) are based on your date of birth. 20 February 1992 is displayed as 920220.
** The next 4 digits (SSSS) are used to define your gender. Females are assigned numbers in the range 0000-4999 and males from 5000-9999.
** The next digit (C) shows if you’re an SA citizen status with 0 denoting that you were born a SA citizen and 1 denoting that you’re a permanent resident.
** The last digit (Z) is a checksum digit – used to check that the number sequence is accurate using a set formula called the Luhn algorithm.
The graphic below details the different sections of an ID number, based on the fictitious sequence 9202204720082
Re-Issuing South African ID
In the event that your ID is lost, damaged or stolen, you may request a Temporary Identification Certificate (TIC). This can be done at any office of the Department of Home Affairs and is subject to the verification of your fingerprints.
You can also get a new ID if:
** Your personal details have changed.
** Your citizenship status has changed.
** You have changed your surname (for example, if you get married or divorced).
** You are temporarily living abroad and have previously had a South African ID. Applying for an ID
You can apply for a replacement ID by:
** Completing Form BI-9 as well if you have not previously submitted your fingerprints.
** Attaching additional documents as required (e.g. a marriage certificate if you are married).
** Paying the required fee for the re-issue.
Be sure to provide your cellphone number in your application so that you can receive regular updates on the progress of your application via SMS. To get the SMS updates, simply SMS the word “ID” followed by your ID number to 32551. You will be charged R1 for each SMS sent.
For more information on how to apply for an identity document, visit the Department of Home Affairs website, where you can also track and trace the progress of your ID application.
Correcting Errors In Your South African ID
If you get your ID and there are errors, the Department of Home Affairs will replace your ID for free.
To apply to correct information in your ID, simply submit the following to any office of the Department of Home Affairs:
** Forms BI-9 and BI-309 completed with the correct information
** Proof of the error, which shows the correct information (e.g. a birth certificate)
** Two identical ID photographs.
Note: No application forms may be downloaded from the Home Affairs website, so you’ll need to visit your nearest Western Cape Home Affairs office to get one of these.
South African Smart ID Cards
Smart ID cards, which are set to replace the green, bar-coded ID books, were rolled out in 2014 and are currently only available to first-time applicants who are 16 years and older, and pensioners over sixty years. Department of Home AffairsOf the 403 home affairs offices countrywide, 110 have a “live capture” system for processing smart card IDs and new passports.
By March 2015 it was expected that 140 offices would have the new technology. The smart card IDs could only be issued at offices where the new live capture system was in place. This had resulted in long queues at some of these offices. If you are a youth or a pensioner older than 60, you will be able to apply for the smart ID card at Home Affairs kiosks or your nearest bank from April 2015.
All other South Africans will be invited to apply during the later phases of the roll-out. You will not need to bring photos as the offices equipped to handle applications for the smart ID card will be able to cater for both processes.
Note:
The old green ID books will remain valid as it is estimated that it would take six to seven years to phase them out.